Anna O
Benedict Prince is a sleep doctor who specializes in crimes committed during sleep. He--along with the whole of England--has long been captivated by the Anna O case. Anna is a young woman who has been a sleep ever since the murder of her two friends--a murder it seems she committed. Ben is sure he can finally wake Anna and get to the truth. But the truth may be more complicated than it appears.
Between the jumps in time, the multiple narrators, and the convoluted storylines, this felt like a bit of a mess. It may have been the audio format--I found it tough to track characters and motivations (though Dan Stevens is always an excellent narrator). The condition known as "resignation syndrome," in real life only seen in Sweden in children of asylum seekers, was a clever premise and was something I hadn't heard of before. Unfortunately, the story built around it didn't quite land (though again, it might be more successful in print).
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Publisher’s Description
THE WORLD WILL KNOW HER NAME
What if your nightmares weren’t really nightmares at all?
We spend an average of 33 years of our lives asleep. But what really happens, and what are we capable of, when we sleep?
Anna Ogilvy was a budding twenty-five-year-old writer with a bright future. Then, one night, she stabbed two people to death with no apparent motive–and hasn’t woken up since. Dubbed “Sleeping Beauty” by the tabloids, Anna’s condition is a rare psychosomatic disorder known to neurologists as “resignation syndrome.”
Dr. Benedict Prince is a forensic psychologist and an expert in the field of sleep-related homicides. His methods are the last hope of solving the infamous “Anna O'”case and waking Anna up so she can stand trial. But he must be careful treating such a high-profile suspect–he’s got career secrets and a complicated personal life of his own.
As Anna shows the first signs of stirring, Benedict must determine what really happened and whether Anna should be held responsible for her crimes.
Only Anna knows the truth about that night, but only Benedict knows how to discover it. And they’re both in danger from what they find out.